Yzma's Beginnings
by Orcalover1
Summary: Ever wondered what happened to Yzma before the events of the Emperor New Groove? How did she become a woman who is scary beyond all reason? These questions and more will be answered!
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time an empire flourished in the South American jungle, undisturbed. The natives created an empire built upon the fundamental belief that everyone, no matter their appearance or parentage, can succeed if they possess talent and a good work ethic. This was the philosophy heralded by the empire's benevolent Emperor, a bright young man in his early twenties named Cuntur. Under Emperor Cuntur's leadership, his people entered a glorious renaissance.

Then it happened.

From across the sea they came, yearning for treasure, thirsty for gold - willing to destroy everything in their path in order to satisfy their greed. Emperor Cuntur made the mistake of inviting them in with open arms. He believed that these pale faced men were the human incarnations of the great god, Quetzalcoatl. Cuntur's people paid dearly for this mistake. The invaders brought disease and despair to the native peoples. They stole all the land's riches, leaving nothing behind.

A once wealthy populace was decimated. The only economic industry that survived the invasion was the undignified practice of llama herding. The invaders purposely sucked the life out of a once vibrant people. To add insult to injury, they even broke into the Emperor's palace in the dead of night and defiled his newlywed bride. However, Cuntur's people were resilient and refused to loose hope, even in the direst of circumstances. They slowly began to pick up the pieces, rebuilding their lives from the carnage. Sadly, they all knew that the wounds inflicted upon them by the heartless foreigners would never fully heal.


	2. Chapter 2

Approximately 9 months later…

The entire empire was holding its breath. Rumors were swirling that the Empress had gone into labor. People young and old cried tears of joy, llama herders left the fields to celebrate, scribes put down their quail feathered pens, merchants closed their shops. Everyone wanted to pay homage to the royal baby. The citizens' festive mood was in stark contrast to the bleak atmosphere of the palace. The public was unaware of the gravity of the situation. The Empress wasn't doing well. Months back she had contracted a bad case of smallpox's from one of the invaders. The pregnancy was also taking its toll on her. The Empress looked gauntly thin even with child. She was in no shape to deliver a baby.

Now that the due date had come, she was ready to end her suffering. She whispered goodbye to her husband, Cuntur, and with her dying breaths she brought her daughter into this world. The little girl would one day be known throughout the lands. Her name will live on in infamy. Her name will become a synonym to shame. It will cause people throughout the empire to become scared beyond all reason. This little girl will grow up to be the bane of her nation. She will one day be referred to as the dreaded Yzma.


	3. Chapter 3

Emperor Cuntur was a proud man. He was a strong man. He never showed any sign of weakness. But at the sight of his wife's lifeless body he completely lost it. This wasn't fair. Why did the Gods do this to him? To her? They ruled the empire kindly and justly. They didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve this.

The voice of one of the servants broke Emperor Cuntur out of his grief induced trance.

"Would you like to meet your daughter?" a nurse-maid sobbed.

Still shaking from misery, the Emperor held out his arms and cradled the newborn in his arms. Unlike most newborns who scream and cry at birth, this child was unnaturally silent. Her big eyes stuck out like they were analyzing every detail of the room. Looking at the helpless babe Emperor Cuntur felt nothing but contempt. This was the parasite that sucked the life out of his beloved bride.

Looking into the child's eyes Emperor came to a realization. He knew those eyes. Why were they so hauntingly familiar to him? He met them face to face in all his nightmares. They were the same eyes that belonged to the leader of pale-faced demons who stole his tears all those moons ago. The baby in his arms was no child of his! He shoved the child back into the nurse-maid's arms.

Emperor Cuntur turned around to bark orders at the two guards stationed by the doors.

"See to it that preparations are in order for my wife's funeral."

"Should we tell the people about the child's birth?" one of the guards asked.

"No" Emperor Cuntur croaked. Tell them she lost the baby."

The nurse-maid cleared her throat, "the child is perfectly healt-"

"Take it away" The Emperor screamed. "Take it away!"


	4. Chapter 4

The empire's celebrations were cut short by tragedy. It was as if someone had snuffed out the light. Citizens wept for the loss of their Empress and her little girl. Little did the mourners know but the baby was placed at the room at the top of the highest tower in the palace. No one knew about the child's existence except a select few palace servants who valued their lives too much to spill the secret.

The lonely room at the top palace of the palace is where Yzma grew into a young woman. Soon she was all but forgotten except by the servants who slid her daily rations through the door. Emperor Cuntur soon remarried a noblewoman from a neighboring tribe, named Cava, who became the new empress. Within a year of the matrimony they had a beautiful baby girl and the empire rejoiced.

All the while Yzma remained in her prison. She had only two links to the outside world. One was the servants' hushed whispers she heard through the wall. Yzma taught herself how to speak by mimicking their whispers. Her other link to to the outside world was a small window above her bedside table.

One night Yzma was gazing up at the full moon, she heard a noise that startled her. The door to her room had been opened. Yzma let out a yelp and jumped down, hiding in the corner. For as long as she could remember the door had been shut. She thought it was a permanently closed fixture.

A feminine voice called out from the doorway. "So it's true then? You actually are imprisoned up here. I wasn't entirely sure you were real. The servants start loads of ridiculous rumors. Had I known you were really up here I would have knocked."

Yzma pushed herself up against the wall. Who was this stranger?

"You don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. We are sisters. My name is Urpi. What's your name?" she smiled.

Yzma shuddered. She didn't know how to respond. As far as she knew, she had no name.

Urpi continued. "Sorry for barging in here. I realize this is all a bit much to take in. I've never discovered a long-lost sister before so I'm not sure how to approach this kind of thing. The scribes don't make guidebooks for this sort of thing." Urpi took a deep breath. "I can see that I'm overwhelming you. I will come back tomorrow night. That way we will both have a chance to process everything. It was so nice to meet you."

Quickly as she had come Urpi left the room once again leaving Yzma all alone.

"Sister" Yzma mumbled. The girl said she was her sister. She had said it with such enthusiasm in her voice. Yzma had never heard the servants use that word. Yzma didn't know what a sister is but she had a feeling that she would soon find out. And for the first time in forever she had something to look foreword to.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun disappeared beneath the horizon. Any second now Urpi would appear. Yzma eagerly anticipated her arrival, glancing at the door every couple seconds. Finally, after what seemed like an enternity. Urpi peeked her head through the doorway.

"Hello I come bearing gifts."

Urpi strolled over to Yzma's bed and laid a dark purple dress on the sheets.

"You know purple has always been my favorite color. Purple is beautiful and unique, as it is not as commonly found in nature as the other colors. But my mother never lets me wear purple. She says it is a child's color, not befitting a future ruler of the empire."

Urpi signed, "O and I also brought these."

She held out a tray of food that gave off a heavenly aroma. Certainly more appetizing then anything Yzma had eaten before.

"Come on try one." Urpi encouraged. "This is hands down the best dish in the whole land I swear to it. They are called spinach puffs. I would like to take credit and say I baked them but alas I did not. A young boy from the village down yonder makes them. He's extremely gifted, been baking desserts since before he could talk."

The spinach puffs were so tasty that Yzma devoured them whole. Urpi then began to tell Yzma more about her life as a princess. She talked about her hopes and dreams. How she had no interest in ruling the empire. How she wanted to marry and settle down somewhere peaceful. Maybe on a nice hill in a llama herding village.

Urpi also told Yzma stories about people from all walks of life from across the empire. This went on every night for a couple weeks. Yzma was enthralled by ever single word. She even dared to dream of a world beyond the walls of her room.

One night Urpi came in proclaiming that she had run out of stories. Yzma looked downcast.

"Don't worry" Urpi reassured her. "I brought something even better! It's a book of fairy tales the nursemaids used to read to me. Here I will read you one."

From then on, it became a nightly occurrence for Yzma to listen to tales as old as time. Urpi's storybook brought to life a mystical world filled with gingerbread houses, magic mirrors, and fairy godmothers.

One night Urpi read a story about a beautiful long haired maiden stuck in a tower. When the story concluded, Yzma spoke.

"That is my favorite."

Urpi's jaw dropped.

"Of all the stories you've read. It's my favorite. I relate to the girl in the tower."

"You can talk?" Urpi stammered.

"Yes."

"Then why haven't you said anything before?"

"I never had anything meaningful to say."

Urpi smiled, "Every word ever spoken has some meaning behind it."

"Every word" Yzma repeated.

"Yes, Wow this is such a relief I wasn't even sure if you could understand me. Speaking of which what would you like me to call you. Do you have a name?"

The girl who would become known as Yzma shook her head.

"That's alright" Urpi reassured her. "We will think of something to call you. I promise."

Gradually the two grew closer as if they were sisters. Urpi would visit every night promptly at nine-o-clock. Some nights Urpi would give Yzma reading lessons, other nights they would sneak onto the palace roof via Yzma's window. One night as they laid on the roof, Urpi was telling Yzma about all the constellations in the sky. But Yzma had no interest in llamas found in the night sky. Something was weighing down on her.

"Urpi, Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"You know how all the characters in the book you read have a mother and father. Or at least a mention of them. Well I was just wondering: who are my parents?"

Urpi, "Our father is the Emperor."

"Our? So we really are sisters."

"We share the same father but not the same mother."

Yzma looked puzzled, "Is that why am I in the room and you aren't?"

"That's is something I have kept asking myself ever since I found you. The truth is that I don't really know why you have been locked away all these years. From what I've heard your mother, the former Empress, died during labor. Our father in some twisted way of dealing with his grief probably locked you away in an effort to numb the pain. That's what father does best. Place his own concerns above everyone's else in the entire empire." Urpi spat bitterly. "Just to add insult to injury, after your mother's death he signed a new law into decree. He made it a requirement that when ready to start a family, every young man must go to the temple of Ocllo, the fertile goddess. Once there he must sacrifice his best livestock to the goddess. The sacrifice is to ensure that both mother and child are happy and healthy. That hypocrite. If he had any sense at all he would abolish that silly law and concentrate on being a decent father to the both of us."

"What was her name?"

"Whose name?"

"My mother's."

"Her name was Yzma."

"Yzma" the word lingered on her lips. "I like it. Can my name be Yzma?"

"Whatever you say Yzma" Urpi laughed.

Both girls were too wrapped in their conversation to notice someone approaching them from behind.

"I am disappointed in you, Urpi" said a man with a gruff voice.

They spun around to find the Emperor towering down at that.

"Daddy I can explain" Urpi began.

"No I don't want to hear it. There's no excuse for what you've done. How do you think I feel? The stress of running an empire and I can't even get a good night's sleep. Do you know why? I have servants knocking on my door in the dead of night informing me that my daughter is alone on the roof with a questionable character. So now I had to climb up here and fetch you." The Emperor shrieked

"If you would just listen."

"No you haven't earned the right for me to listen. Your actions are inexcusable. Nothing you say will change that. Go back to bed." The Emperor commanded.

Urpi signed but did as she was told.

"As for you" Emperor Cuntur made a conscious effort not to look at Yzma as he spoke. "If you value your limbs I suggest you go back to your room. And while you are at it stay away from my daughter."

Yzma couldn't help but mentally note how he put emphasis on that last word. She didn't know how to respond to her father. So she listened and went back to her room. The next night, Yzma eagerly awaited Urpi's visit. But Urpi never made an appearance. The second night came and went but still no Urpi. Yzma was going sick with worry cooped up in her room. She needed to get her mind off of Urpir and her father. Naturally, she picked up a book and began reading. However, this was no fairytales book, it was a book detailing animal physiology. It gave Yzma so very interesting ideas. Very interesting indeed.

Finally on the third night Urpi frantically shoved open Yzma's door.

"You need to go. Now" Urpi panted.

"Go?" Yzma asked. "Why?"

"Father is absolutely livid about the other night. He has convinced himself that you are the source of all the empire's problems. He has scheduled your execution for dawn."

"He wants me dead?"

"I realize this is a lot to take in but you have time to grieve later. Now we have to get you out of here."

"Alright I'm ready." Yzma grabbed her animal physiology book and bolted out of the room. She didn't even look back.

Urpi guided her through a complex series of corridors until they were just outside the palace's gates.

Urpi pointed ahead. "You see that trail. Follow it, it will lead you straight into town. You will blend right in with the villagers. It will be difficult for my father to find you there."

"You're not coming?" Yzma asked.

"Alas I cannot. My place is here. But don't fret. We will see each other again."

"You promise?"

"I promise. Sisterhood is forever."

"Forever" Yzma agreed.

"Now go! I doubt our absence will go unnoticed much longer. Goodbye Yzma. I look foreword to seeing you again."

Without another word, Yzma ran out into the dark unknown.


End file.
